April 5, 2012

O Salutaris Hostia

If you've ever been to Mass on Holy Thursday, you notice that the Eucharist is not placed in the tabernacle after Communion. Rather, it is placed on the altar and the priest then processes around the Church with it and takes it to a place of repose. As there no Mass on Good Friday, the Eucharist is placed somewhere else to be used for the Good Friday service.

There is an ancient tradition in the Catholic Church where people visit 7 Churches on Holy Thursday and pray before the Blessed Sacrament. Tonight we will do just that. We are going to gather at Saint Anselm College Abbey Church and join the monks for Compline (Night Prayer). Following Compline we will pray for a bit in the Church and then travel to a number of Churches in Manchester spending some time in prayer.

Before the great fast of Good Friday we will get some ice cream at Blake's (or it gets too late back at Trinity as I have a bunch of ice cream left over from another event).